Container and tear strip type lid therefor



Dec. 5, 1967 N. E. RUSSELL 3,356,250

CONTAINER AND TEAR STRIP TYPE LID THEREFOR Filed Sept. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

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Dec. 5, 1967 N. E. RUSSELL 3,356,250

CONTAINER AND TEAR STRIP TYPE LID THEREFOR Filed Sept. 22, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L In 13 v 10 27 #51 f as! INVENTOR. 12

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United States Patent 3,356,250 CONTAINER AND TEAR STRIP TYPE LID THEREFOR Norman E. Russell, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Aluminum Goods Limited, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Sept. 22, N65, Ser. No. 489,191 18 Claims. (Cl. 22054) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container lid has a peripheral flange that cooperates with a container to hold the lid thereon. A part of the flange is a tear strip that is completely torn away to open the container. A pull tab is fixed to the tear strip, while a lid lift tab is fixed to another part of the lid. The tear strip tab is disposed around the lid lift tab so as to prevent the lid lift tab from being mistaken for the tear strip tab and being ripped from the lid.

This invention relates to lids for containers and to containers of a type having a lid provided with a peripheral flange adapted to co-operate with the container to hold the lid on the container, an integral part of the flange constituting a tear strip adapted to be torn from the lid to release the lid from the container.

Lids of the aforementioned general type are known in the art. In the past such lids have been constructed, in some cases, with a tab that is connected to the tear strip and another tab, spaced apart from the first mentioned tab, that is connected to a part of the lid other than the tear strip. In order to open the container, the first tab is gripped between a persons fingers and pulled to tear the tear strip, thus permitting the top to be removed from the container, this latter result being effected by gripping the second tab and lifting up on the same. The arrangement of the two tabs has been such that it is quite easy for a person wishing to remove the tear strip to mistakenly grip the tab that is not connected to the tear strip and whose only function is to lift the lid after the tear strip has been removed. Pulling of this tab will not remove the tear strip and may result in the ripping of this tab from the lid of the container.

In accordance with this invention, the two tabs are designed in such a manner that the tab connected to the tear strip extends at least part way around the tab connected to a part of the lid of the container other than the tear strip, this second tab being interposed between at least a part of the first tab and the lid of. the container, so that it is very diflicult for a person to pull the wrong tab in an etfort to remove the tear strip. This result is enhanced, in a preferred form of the invention, by making a part of the first tab more readily bendable than the second tab.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, a portion of the first tab is inclined towards the direction that the tear strip tears from the flange of the lid, so as to facilitate removal of the tear strip.

In the past, prior art lids of the type generally referred to previously herein have been constructed such that the tear strip terminates at an end portion joined to the lid, although a score line may be provided at this point. Such tear strips are difficult to remove, because the forces acting on the score line at the end of the tear strip are not shear forces, and the end portion of such a tear strip oflers considerable resistance to being torn from the lid even if a score line is provided.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of this invention, the flange of the lid is notched adjacent the end of the tear strip in such a manner as to facilitate removal of the tear strip.

In brief, in accordance with this invention, there is provided a lid for a container. This lid has a peripheral flange that is adapted to co-operate with a container to hold the lid on the container. An integral part of the flange constitutes a tear strip that is adapted to be torn from the lid to release the lid from the container. A first tab is fixed to the tear strip, preferably formed integral therewith, while a second tab is fixed to a part of the lid other than the tear strip, the second tab also preferably being formed integral with the lid. Both of these tabs project away from the lid, and the two tabs are positioned close to each other. The first tab projects further away from the lid than the second tab and has a part thereof remote from the lid which extends around the part of the second tab furthest from the lid, so that the second tab is interposed between the aforementioned part of the first tab and the lid.

This invention will become more apparent from the following disclosure, taken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a container having mounted thereon a lid constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the tear strip being removed;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation showing the lidded container of FIGURE 1 in greater detail;

FIGURE 4 is a section taken along line 4-4 in FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 but showing the tear strip completely removed; and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 illustrating a lid embodying this invention applied to a different type of container than the container shown in the preceding drawings.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a container 1% having a bottom wall 11 and upstanding, slightly outwardly inclined side walls 12 that, as best shown in FIG- URE 4, are turned outwardly and then inwardly to form a shoulder 13 that, in the present embodiment, is a head. The shape of container 10 is not critical, and container 10 may be made from any suitable material such as a thin sheet of metal, for example, aluminum or tin plate, being particularly suitable. Such containers may be fabricated by the stamping of a thin metal disc, and side walls 12 may be provided with corrugations to impart strength thereto, while bottom wall 11 may be curved upwardly into the interior of the container for the same reason. The material from which container 10 is fabricated is not critical, of course, and other materials such as glass, plastic or fiberfoil may be employed.

Container It) is provided with a lid 14. The interior surfaces of container 10 and lid 14 may be coated with known plastic coating materials, particularly if the container is to be used for foodstuffs. Lid 14 may be formed from thin sheet metal or plastic, for example, and, in the present embodiment, is generally circular in plan. In the present embodiment, lid 14 includes a generally planar part 15 having a peripheral flange 16 formed integral therewith.

Flange 16 consists of an upwardly turned portion 17, an outwardly turned portion 18, a downwardly turned portion 19 and an inwardly turned portion 20, all as best shown in FIGURE 4. As also may be seen from FIG- URE 4, flange 16 co-operates with shoulder 13 in such a manner that the lid is held on the container. This is achieved by turning portion 20 inwardly under shoulder 13 after lid 14 has been placed over the open end of container 10.

An integral part 21 of flange 16 constitutes a tear strip that extends almost the full length of flange 16. A score line 22 in flange 16 extending the length of the tear strip defines the upper boundary of the tear strip, which also has a free edge 23. This score line could be constituted by perforations, if desired.

Adhered to the interior surface of flange 16 at the outwardly turned portion 18 thereof there may be a thermoplastic gasket sealing compound 31, which may be any one of the known compounds previously used for this purpose.

Formed integral with tear strip 21 is a tab 24. In the present embodiment, tab 24 has a generally circular end portion 25 and a neck portion 26 that is inclined towards the direction that tear strip 21 tears from flange 16.

Formed integral with lid 14, more specifically, formed integral with a part of flange 16 that does not constitute tear strip 21, is another tab 27 that is employed for lifting lid 14 from container after tear strip 21 has been removed by pulling tab 24. It is to be clearly understood that score line 22 commences in flange 16 at point A (FIGURE 3) or at the end of the dotted line above point A and terminates at point B, so that there is no score line in the part of flange 16 immediately above tab 27 It will be noted that tabs 24 and 27 are positioned close to each other. In fact, it is desirable that these tabs be separated from each other only by a die-cut line 28. Of course, die-cut line 28 could be a score line like score line 22, or a perforated line. If a die-cut line 28 is employed, it may be desirable to leave a small bridge between the two tabs in the region of reference numeral 29. Both tabs 24 and 27 project away from lid 14, preferably lying in the same plane. As best shown in FIG- URE 4, tabs 24 and 27 may lie in a vertical plane, so as to facilitate the positioning of a plurality of lidded containers of the type shown herein side-by-side with each other, or tabs 24 and 27 actually may be bent inwardly against side walls 12.

Tab 24 projects further away from lid 14 than tab 27, and end portion of tab 24 extends around the part 29 of tab 27 positioned furthest from lid 14. Thus tab 27 is interposed between end portion 25 of tab 24 and lid 14. With such an arrangement, it is very difficult for a person wishing to remove tear strip 21 to grip and pull tab 27, rather than tab 24. This effect is enhanced by the fact that neck 26 of tab 24 is considerably less wide than tab 27, so that tab 24 bends much more readily than tab 27.

In order to remove lid 14 from container 10, end portion 25 of tab 24 is gripped by the person opening the container and pulled upwardly and around the container. The inclination of neck 26 towards the direction that tear strip 21 tears from flange 16 ensures that the force applied to tab 24 causes a shearing of tear strip 21 along score line 22.

As best shown in FIGURE 3, extending from free edge 23 of tear strip 21 at least the depth of tear strip 21, i.e., to score line 22, is a notch 30. The provision of this notch greatly facilitates the ultimate removal of tear strip 21, since notch 30 intersects score line 22. In the past it has been common practice for the score line 22 to be turned downwardly towards free edge 23 at the end of the tear strip. This makes ultimate removal of the tear strip difficult, because the force exerted on the tear strip is in a direction parallel to the downwardly turned part of the score line, and shearing does not result.

When the tear strip 21 has been removed completely, the lid is in the form shown in FIGURE 5 and may be lifted from container 10 to permit access to the contents thereof merely by the lifting of tab 27 In the embodiment of this invention illustrated in FIG- URE 6, a lid 14 is employed that is the same as the lid shown in FIGURES 1-5. However, container 10 of FIG- URE 6 is different from the container shown in FIGURES 15 in that it is fabricated of fiberfoil and has a shoulder 13 that is in the form of a flange. This flange is created during the fixing of lid 14 on the container by means of what is essentially a rolling operation.

While preferred embodiments of this invention have been disclosed herein, those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim in my invention is:

1. A lid for a container, said lid having a peripheral flange adapted to cooperate with the container to hold the lid on the container, an integral part of said flange constituting a tear strip having a free edge, a first tab fixed to said tear strip, a second tab having a first part fixed to a part of said lid other than said tear strip and adapted to be completely disconnected from said tear strip at least after said tear strip has been torn completely away from and detached completely from said lid, said tear strip being adapted to be torn away from and detached completely from said lid to release said lid from the container, said second tab remaining fixed to said lid after said tear strip has been torn completely away from and detached completely from said lid and providing a means for lifting said lid after said lid has been so released from the container, said first tab extending from said tear strip around and close to a second part of said second tab remote from said first part of said second tab with said second part of said second tab being disposed between said first tab and said first part of said second tab, whereby said second tab is shielded by said first tab.

2. A lid according to claim 1 wherein the .part of said first tab adjacent said tear strip is inclined in the direction that said tear strip tears from said flange.

3. A lid according to claim 2 wherein said first tab is formed integral with said tear strip and said second tab is formed integral with a part of said flange other than the part of said flange constituting said tear strip.

4. A lid according to claim 1 wherein said lid is formed of metal.

5. A lid according to claim 1 wherein said tabs lie in substantially the same plane.

6. A lid according to claim 1 wherein there is a score line in said flange separating the part of said flange constituting said tear strip from another part of said flange.

7. A lid according to claim 1 wherein said flange has a notch therein extending at least the depth of said tear strip and inwardly into said flange from said free edge of said tear strip and positioned adjacent the end of said tear strip remote from said first tab.

8. A lid according to claim 1 wherein there is a score line in said flange separating the part of said flange constituting said tear strip from another part of said flange, and wherein said flange has a notch therein extending from said free edge of said tear strip to said score line and positioned adjacent the end of said tear strip remote from said first tab.

9. A lid according to claim 1 wherein the width of a part of said first tab adjacent said tear strip is substantially less than the width of said second tab.

10. A lid according to claim 1 wherein there is a score line in said flange separating the part of said flange constituting said tear strip from another part of said flange, wherein said flange has a notch therein extending from said free edge of said tear strip to said score line and positioned adjacent the end of said tear strip remote from said first tab, wherein the width of a part of said first tab adjacent said tear strip is substantially less than the width of said second tab, and wherein said tabs lie in substantially the same plane.

11. A container having a bottom wall with side walls upstanding therefrom and having a shoulder formed thereon, a lid for said container, said lid having a peripheral flange, a part of said flange being bent over and under said shoulder, whereby said lid cooperates with said shoulder to hold said lid on said container, an integral part of said flange constituting a tear strip having a free edge, a first tab fixed to said tear strip, a second tab having a first part fixed to a part of said lid other than said tear strip and adapted to be completely disconnected from said tear strip at least after said tear strip has been torn completely away from and detached completely from said lid, said tear strip being adapted to be torn away from and detached completely from said lid to release said lid from said container, said second tab remaining fixed to said lid after said tear strip has been torn completely away from and detached completely from said lid and providing a means for lifting said lid after said lid has been so released from said container, said first tab extending from said tear strip around and close to a second part of said second tab remote from said first part of said second tab with said second part of said second tab being disposed between said first tab and said first part of said second tab, whereby said second tab is shielded by said first tab.

12. The invention according to claim 11 wherein the part of said first tab adjacent said tear strip is inclined in the direction that said tear strip tears from said flange.

13. The invention according to claim 12 wherein said first tab is formed integral with said tear strip and said second tab is formed integral with a part of said flange other than the part of said flange constituting said tear strip.

14. The invention according to claim 11 wherein there is a score line in said flange separating the part of said flange constituting said tear strip from another part of said flange.

15. The invention according to claim 11 wherein said flange has a notch therein extending at least the depth of said tear strip and inwardly into said flange from said free edge of said tear strip and positioned adjacent the end of said tear strip remote from said first tab.

16. The invention according to claim 11 wherein there is a score line in said flange separating the part of said flange constituting said tear strip from another part of said flange, and wherein said flange has a notch therein extending from said free edge of said tear strip to said score line and positioned adjacent the end of said tear strip remote from said first tab.

17. The invention according to claim 11 wherein the width of a part of said first tab adjacent said tear strip is substantially less than the Width of said second tab.

18. The invention according to claim 11 wherein there is a score line in said flange separating the part of said flange constituting said tear strip from another part of said flange, wherein said flange has a notch therein extending from said free edge of said tear strip to said score line and positioned adjacent the end of said tear strip remote from said first tab, wherein the width of a part of said first tab adjacent said tear strip is substantially less than the width of said second tab, and wherein said tabs lie in substantially the same plane.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/ 1964 Blakeslee 220-54 9/1965 Miller et a1 22054 

1. A LID FOR A CONTAINER, SAID LID HAVING A PERIPHERAL FLANGE ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH THE CONTAINER TO HOLD THE LID ON THE CONTAINER, AN INTEGRAL PART OF SAID FLANGE CONSTITUTING A TEAR STRIP HAVING A FREE EDGE, A FIRST TAB FIXED TO SAID TEAR STRIP, A SECOND TAB HAVING A FIRST PART FIXED TO A PART OF SAID LID OTHER THAN SAID TEAR STRIP AND ADAPTED TO BE COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM SAID TEAR STRIP AT LEAST AFTER SAID TEAR STRIP HAS BEEN TORN COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THE DETACHED COMPLETELY FROM SAID LID, SAID TEAR STRIP BEING ADAPTED TO BE TORN AWAY FROM AND DETACHED COMPLETELY FROM SAID LID TO RELEASE SAID LID FROM THE CONTAINER, SAID SECOND TAB REMAINING FIXED TO SAID LID AFTER SAID TEAR STRIP HAS BEEN TORN COMPLETELY AWAY FROM AND DETACHED COMPLETELY FROM SAID LID AND PROVIDING A MEANS FOR LIFTING SAID LID AFTER SAID LID HAS BEEN SO RELEASED FROM THE CONTAINER, SAID FIRST TAB EXTENDING FROM SAID TEAR STRIP AROUND AND CLOSE TO A SECOND PART OF SAID SECOND TAB REMOTE FROM SAID FIRST PART OF SAID SECOND TAB WITH SAID SECOND PART OF SAID SECOND TAB BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FIRST TAB AND SAID FIRST PART OF SAID SECOND TAB, WHEREBY SAID SECOND TAB IS SHIELDED BY SAID FIRST TAB. 